Hercules Moth

Coscinocera hercules (Miskin, 1876)

Adult male.Adult female. Hercules moth caterpillar

Family Saturnidae

Females of the Hercules Moth have a wingspan of up to 27cm and the largest wing area of any moth in the world. Males have the rear corners of the hindwings stretched into long tails. Hercules Moths occur in New Guinea and tropical Queensland. Adult moths do not feed and are short-lived.

Their spectacular pale-blue caterpillars can grow to a length of 12 cm and a weight of 29 g. The caterpillars feed on leaves of several rainforest trees but prefer those of the Bleeding Heart tree, Omalanthus nutans. At the rear end they have 2 large, false eyes to confuse potential attackers.

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